Cookery masterclass + Spanish food and drink | The Guardianhttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/series/cookery-masterclass+spanish-food-and-drink
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Cookery masterclass: Nieves Barragán Mohachohttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2011/sep/18/barrafina-tapas-nieves-barragan
She makes Britain's best tapas at Barrafina. Can she teach Rachel Cooke the tricks of the trade?<br /><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/sep/18/barrafina-nieves-barragan-mohacho-masterclass-recipes" title=""> Try the tapas recipes for yourself</a><p>Not to exaggerate or anything, but if you want my advice the key to happiness lies in the knowledge that the best lunch in Britain is served at Barrafina, a tiny tapas bar in Frith Street, Soho. OK, so it has only 23 covers and doesn't take bookings, a policy about which it is proudly strict. If I'm meeting a friend there, I aim to park my bum on one of its stools by midday at the latest and, once I am staring at the glistening pile of razor clams on ice, I find that I'm never anything less than starving hungry. What follows, then, is inevitably a feast: a few ham croquetas and pimientos de padron and chipirones (crisp fried baby squid); some morcilla (black pudding) with quail's eggs, perhaps a gooey tortilla, plus a plate of little gem with anchovy and pancetta; and, to finish, strawberries with Juanola sauce (Juanolas are pastilles made from unsweetened liquorice; you can buy them in Spanish pharmacies). <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/may/15/madhur-jaffrey-interview" title="Madhur Jaffrey told me">Madhur Jaffrey told me</a> that the tapas at Barrafina are better than any she has tasted even in Barcelona. I'd be lying if I said that I disagree.</p><p>Barrafina, which opened in 2007, is owned by Sam and Eddie Hart, the incredibly posh but delightfully amiable brothers who also brought us Fino. Its executive chef is Nieves Barrag&aacute;n Mohacho, who grew up near Bilbao, and who – or so the legend has it – could roast a chicken single-handed by the time she was seven. Needless to say, I have had a culinary crush on Nieves for years. It's not only that she makes such delicious spinach, pine-nut and raisin coca (a Mallorquin classic, coca is a pizza-like thing whose dough is made with manzanilla sherry). Nor is it the fact that she invented a tapa of tuna tartare which she serves with the most astonishingly smooth guacamole. No, tapas bars, hot and high-pressured, are often rather macho environments. It's wonderful to walk into one and see a woman – calm, quiet but indubitably commanding – running the show. If I visit, and she's not there, I always feel peculiarly disappointed.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2011/sep/18/barrafina-tapas-nieves-barragan">Continue reading...</a>Spanish food and drinkFood & drinkChefsLife and styleSat, 17 Sep 2011 23:05:05 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2011/sep/18/barrafina-tapas-nieves-barraganPal Hansen/ObserverRachel Cooke, left, and Nieves Barragán Mohacho photographed for Observer Food Monthly at Barrafina, Frith Street, London, 10 August 2011. Photograph: Pal Hansen for the ObserverPal Hansen/ObserverRachel Cooke, left, and Nieves Barragán Mohacho photographed for Observer Food Monthly at Barrafina, Frith Street, London, 10 August 2011. Photograph: Pal Hansen for the ObserverRachel Cooke2011-09-17T23:05:05ZTapas recipes: Nieves Barragán Mohacho's masterclasshttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2011/sep/18/barrafina-nieves-barragan-mohacho-masterclass-recipes
Barrafina's popular ham croquetas and sardines with garlic and chilli<p>The restaurant's most popular dish.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2011/sep/18/barrafina-nieves-barragan-mohacho-masterclass-recipes">Continue reading...</a>Food & drinkLife and styleChefsSpanish food and drinkSat, 17 Sep 2011 23:03:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2011/sep/18/barrafina-nieves-barragan-mohacho-masterclass-recipesEmma Lee/ObserverHam croquetas from Barrafina. Photograph: Emma Lee for the ObserverEmma Lee/ObserverHam croquetas from Barrafina. Photograph: Emma Lee for the ObserverNieves Barragán Mohacho2011-09-17T23:03:00Z